He’s his own man, and that’s important given how much flak playcallers can take in the city of Air Coryell.

Addressing reporters on Thursday after new coach Mike McCoy introduced him, Whisenhunt sang the praises of Dan Henning, who’s best known in San Diego as a failed former Chargers coach whose three teams went 16-32 (.333).

At least Whisenhunt didn’t mention Ryan Leaf, too, as an influence.

Henning, like Norv Turner, fared far better as an offensive coordinator than he did as a head coach. In fact, he was the offensive coordinator for a Super Bowl-winning Redskins team and the only Panthers club to reach a Super Bowl.

Whisenhunt, 50, did his mentor one better, going to Super Bowls as a coordinator and a head coach.

He was Bill Cowher’s playcaller and offensive coordinator in 2005 when the Steelers won the Super Bowl behind second-year quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, a potent defense and a robust running game.

Showing his versatility, Whisenhunt was the Cardinals’ head coach when they reached their lone Super Bowl behind quarterback Kurt Warner, then 37. Those Cardinals led the NFL in passes thrown while finishing last in run attempts, the inverse of the '05 Steelers.

Run a lot, pass a lot – Whisehunt, like McCoy, is more interested in reaching the destination than pre-setting the journey.

It all starts with discovering what the players do best, they said.

“We’ll figure that out and do it here,” Whisenhunt said. “I think with the way this game changes, the way you see some of the read-option that guys are doing – and some of the components that people are doing through the years, like the wildcat, you’ve got to be able to adapt and do those things.”

Don’t construe that as plan to mobilize Philip Rivers, although Whisenhunt said his Cardinals offenses “had a lot of success” with the no-huddle.

Both McCoy and Whisenhunt said it’s too early to know what the playbook will be, but they know they want to adjust to the talent.

No doubt Henning would approve. “We both come from the same family tree in Dan Henning,” Whisenhunt said.

McCoy was the quarterbacks coach and Henning the offensive coordinator when the Panthers reached the Super Bowl in 2003. In all, McCoy worked five years under Henning in Carolina.

Whisenhunt said Henning drafted him onto the Falcons in 1985. A tight end taken in the 12th round out of Georgia Tech, he played four years for Atlanta as part of a nine-year career. He and Henning reunited with the Jets in 2000 when Whisenhunt became the special teams coach.

Whisenhunt, who earned a degree in civil engineering, said Henning taught him "how you have to study players and prepare for different looks."

He added: "He was a very important part of my development as a coach. One of the thing I liked about Dan was his ability to adapt and try different things.'

Said McCoy: "We were really raised by the same guy, so the transition should be easy for us."